Tagoe survives Pontilas scare to maintain WBO/WBA titles

Accra, April 27, GNA – Emmanuel ‘Game Boy’ Tagoe, survived a real scare from his Philipinno opponent, Robald Pontilas to claim a 2-1 majority decision in the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa and World Boxing Authority (WBA) International Super Featherweight Championship bout at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday morning.

Tough talking Tagoe, who few months ago put up a sterling performance to beat George Ashie to win the two titles performed below expectation, visiting the canvas twice, but managed to score 115-115, 116-112 and 118-111 to emerge victorious.

Tagoe promised an early knock out and went straight into attack at the start of the fight with series of hefty punches, but the Philipinno proved equal to the task, responding in like manner to set the tone for a close contest.

Having traded heavy punches, Tagoe visited the canvas as Pontilas landed a combined left-right hook to surprise both Tagoe and large gathering.

Tagoe, however survived the count from referee Roger Barnor. Soon, both boxers resumed round six with exciting exchanges which saw Pontilas slip in the process to visit the canvas but was not counted.

From the seventh round, Tagoe changed his style and resorted to jabs, with occasional attack aimed at knocking down Pontilas but the latter exhibited a lot of endurance, though Tagoe’s right hook sent him into the ropes in the eighth round, prompting referee Barnor to count against him.

Similar exchanges in the ninth round sent obvious indications that, the fight was going to travel the distance as each round saw intense exchanges with Tagoe visiting the canvas again but was not counted to the displeasure of the patrons at the arena.

In a fight many felt could have been drawn instead of the majority win for the Ghanaian, saw the two boxers engaged in a fierce contest in the tenth, 11th and 12th rounds, with Tagoe a shade better.

In another fight George ‘Red Tiger’ Ashie knocked out Michael Odhiambo in the third round of their International Lightweight contest.

Ashie, first opened a cut on the top side of the right eye of the Kenyan and continuously punched that side to break down his opponent in the second round and finally sent him down in the third round to end the contest.